How Leena Nair Is Shaping the Future of Chanel with Bold Vision and Human-Centered Leadership

Image courtesy of Chanel

25 Jul '25

By The Shift

25 Jul '25

By The Shift

The Shift highlights women’s stories through the lens of impact. It hopes to contextualize history and inspire action.

Leena Nair CBE has been the Global Chief Executive Officer at Chanel since January 2022. She has a global reputation for progressive human-centered leadership, delivering holistic business impact for the long term. Under Nair’s leadership, Chanel has continued to strengthen its decisive brand leadership, enhance the client experience, lead cultural conversations, and further drive its sustainability commitments for a positive impact in the world. Prior to joining Chanel, Nair spent 30 years at Unilever, serving as the company’s Chief Human Resources Officer and a member of their Executive Committee.

The Shift:

What is the legacy you hope to leave behind as a changemaker and leader in your industry?

Leena:

Legacy is a big word. I consider it in two ways: what I want our impact to be at Chanel and how I hope I am remembered as a leader.

Our vision at Chanel is to stay a beacon of inspiration in the world for the next 100 years. I am truly inspired by our founder Gabrielle Chanel and the impact she had 100 years ago. She was radical, embraced the avant-garde, and created a new freedom of movement for women. She supported women to be whoever they wanted to become – at a time when women didn’t have the right to vote. 100 years from now, I want people to be inspired by what we are doing at Chanel today.

On a personal level, this question takes me back to my 11-year-old self and dreams of how I could have a voice in the world. I hope I will be remembered as someone who was willing to break the norm and was not afraid to take risks. Who combined compassion with decisiveness and impact.

_____

Leena Nair is honored as part of The Shift’s “90 Plus One” list, which recognizes influential women shaping contemporary culture. With Gloria Steinem featured on the inaugural print cover, the list pays homage to her 91 years of activism by highlighting a powerhouse community of women shifting culture.